Fountain



v(No Model.) 2 Sheets-8heet 1.

E. D. BRAINARD. FOUNTAIN.

No. 515,898. Patented Mar, 6, 1894,

Mimi-288%: INVENTOR W 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model. 7

.E. D. BRAINARD.

FOUNTAIN. I No. 515,898. Patented Mar. 6, 1894.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATEN Fries.

EDWIN D. BRAINARD, OF GREAT BARRINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOUNTAlN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,898, dated March 6, 1894.

Application filed November 25,1891. Serial No. 413.025. (No model.)

sett-s, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fountains; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Heretofore fountains have been constructed and arranged so that a column of water is forced from a jet pipe projecting above the surface of the water contained in the fountain basin. The effect produced has been a stream of water breaking at its top into spray; or, if forced, under very great pressure through the jet pipe, the stream of water will be crushed into atomized particles more or less along its length. The stream so produced, although occasionally varying slightly in its appearance, is substantially the same, namely, a continuous and steady column of water terinitiating in line spray. Also prior to my invention attempts have been made to draw air in underneath the surface of the body of water in the basin and eject it mingled with water through the jet pipe extending up above the surface of the water, thereby forcing up through said jet pipe in a continuous and steady stream, water mingled with air, such water partially coming from the body of water in the basin,but principally from the jet pipe under pressure. The character of the column of water, however, with such appliances does not difier substantially from the old form of column above referred to, excepting that by reason of introduction of air, the stream is atomized and the ejected water presents a more spray like form than when thrown up without theaddition of mingled air. I have discovered that a pipe discharging fluid under hydraulic pressure vertically can, by the use of a valve on said pipe, which controls the supply, cause said stream or column of water to pulsate. I will now employ this vertical pipe as the supply pipe to the basin or pool of water confined, by fixing said pipe in the center of the pool, so arranged that the said supply pipe can be raised or lowered vertically to any depth below the surface of the water in the pool or basin at the will of the operator or over the jet from supply pipe.

the supply pipe maybe stationary and the discharge pipe may be raised or lowered, thereby increasing or diminishing the depth of water Now to illustrate the application of this initial force (produced as before described) or pulsating stream of water to the starting, increasing and maintaining of uniform wave motion in a pool, or basin of water confined, I will lower the supply pipe to a point below the surface of the water in the center of said pool or basin. Now the same law of force and resistance which produces the pulsations above the surface of the water will again produce them when located below the surface of the water. We can now employ more force at the immersed supply pipe, the water over the pipe furnishing the necessary resistance to keep the conditions the same as those producing the pulsationsabove the surface of the water. The pulsating column now being in connection with the water of the basin or pool will immediately start small waves from the end of the pipe to the circumference of the pool or basin which immediately return to the'center of the pool and load upon the column of water from the supply pipe, thereby reducing the speed of the upward stream of water. The next instant the wave returns to the circumference of the basin, thereby relieving the upward flow. The stream now shoots forward at an increased velocity from below the surface and takes up and carries upward with it the water confined in the basin or poola quantity inversely proportional to its velocity. Thus different portions of the stream have different velocities and rise to different heights before breaking and falling, and carry up different volumes of water producing an irregular pulsating effect. Hence it will be seen that the portions of this vertical stream of water with high velocity will overtake the portions of the same stream of water with low velocity, and carrying the load of water will pass through the latter thereby causing the accumulated load to drop back upon the supply pipe. The dropping back of this load occurs at the exact instant of time to reinforce the outgoing wave, thereby aiding the initial force in producing, maintaining and increasing uniform waves in a confined pool or basin of water. The vertical column of water moving at different velocities by reason of being loaded up by contact with the waves at the moment they meet at the supply pipe and the failure of such contact at the moment of the waves returning to the circumference ofthe pool of water, that is the portions of the stream traveling at the greater velocity overtake the loaded portions carrying the load, causes What may be termed rear end collision, or breaks, at points in the column of water and thereby producing varying and beautiful effects. As the depth of the supply pipe below the surface of the pool increases we may employ more force by increasing the amount of water through the valve at supply pipe until We have all the force employed that we have through our connections with the mains or reservoir. The waves increase in size in proportion to the depth of the supply pipe below the surface of the water in the pool and the amount of water admitted through the supply valve, until such waves become of size sufficient to overtop the upward stream from the supply pipe when they meet at the center of the pool. The pulsations now become regular, the frequency being in exact proportion to the diameter of the pool or basin.

The invention consists:First:-In the method of producing a fountain with a pulsating stream which consists in introducing into an uncovered body of liquid an upwardly directed continuous jet of liquid at a point below the surface thereof. Second:-In a fountain the combination with an open vessel of an upwardly directed inlet jet pipe terminating therein and having its orifice placed ata lower level than the lowest point from which liquid can escape from said vessel, and in unobstructed communication with the main body of the contents of the vessel, whereby the vessel is adapted to contain a body of water freely submerging said orifice, and a source of liquid supply adapted to force a jet from said jet pipe under sufficient pressure to rise above the level of liquid in the vessel notwithstanding the resistance of the body of water above the orifice, whereby a pulsating fountain may be produced.

In the drawings:=Figure 1, shows the relation of the body of water in a fountain basin to the inlet and outlet water passages be fore the-jet of water is turned on to produce wave motion and the effects in the column hereinafter referred to. Fig. 2, is a view of the fountain in operation in which is seen the wave motion produced by the jet of water and at the instant when the waves are receding from the column of water and the pulsating character of the stream. Fig. 3, shows the efiects after the level of the water over the orifice of the jet pipe has risen in the fountain basin to a point where it commences to be siphoned off through a siphon outlet pipe; the waves being shown as receding from the jet of Water coming from the inlet pipe and permitting for an instant of time the passage upwardly of a comparatively unimpeded column of water. Fig. 4, shows substantially the effects produced under the same conditions as in Fig. 3, except that the waves are here shown as returning upon the jet of water, so as to partially strangle the column for the instant. Fig. 5, is a detail view in section.

Referring to the drawings,l have there exhibited an apparatus by which my invention above described may be practiced.

a, is the basin of the fountain; b, is theinlet jet pipe at its center.

c, is the outlet pipe. In practicing the invention the orifice of this outlet pipe cshould I be on a higher level than the orifice of the jet pipe I), so that there may alwaysbe a body of water 01 over the orifice of the latter, when the fountain is in full operation. I begin by first producing the pulsating column of water. At this time the orifice of the jet pipe I) need not be covered with water. This is done by reducing the inflow of Water at the inflow gate to the jet to such an extent that the weight of the column equals or but slightly exceeds the pressure of the water. This will be determined by gradually moving the gate until it is seen that the column pulsates. The orifice of the outlet pipe 0 being higher than the orifice of the jet pipe I), the water will gradually increasein the basin and submerge the pulsating column. The pulsat ing column carrying a greater load as hereinbefore stated, the pressure should be increased accordingly in order to keep the column above the surface of the water. As the column of water from the jet pipe I), forces its way up through the body of water it will lift a portion of water and behave in a manner as hereinbefore stated and produce another movement, namely:wave motion. This wave motion being a set of reactions caused by the pulsating stream, the'waves being limited to the wall of the basin and returned therefrom to the center where the jet pipe is situated as hereinbefore stated. When the level of the water reaches the top of the outlet pipe, the effects produced by broken water namely, globules and balls of water of various sizes will be constant. If the outlet pipe is lowered or the inlet pipe raised, such effects will be constant at the point at which the level of the water is thereby fixed. For instance in Fig. 2, Ihave shown the behavior of the column of water with only a slight depth of water above the orifice of the jet pipe I). If the orifice of the outlet pipe 0 is several inches in height above the jet pipe orifice, then as the level of the water rises to the orifice of the outlet pipe the effects produced in the column of Water will vary up to the point where it runs off through the outlet pipe; if the inlet gate is not moved then it will become stationary. Although the effects are different at the difierent levels of Water in the water basin, the principle is, the same. By using an adjustable pipe on the outlet pipe 0 any of these effects may be kept constant, or

ICC

changed at pleasure. By applying a siphon pipe on the outlet pipe 0, as soon as the water reaches the level at which it commences to be siphoned off, if the inflow gate is not disturbed, the character of the column will give, as the level of the waterfalls to its original point, the whole series of efiects back to that shown at the commencement as seen in Fig. 1. To accomplish this the length of the siphon pipe should cover nearly the differenoe between the length of the inlet and the outlet pipe.

e, in Fig. 3, is the siphon referred to, and the level of the water is shown as at thepoint where it commences to be siphoned on. The wave motion is therein shown as receding from the jet pipeand the stream has for the instant a comparatively unimpeded throw upward; the column of water however shows that it has the characteristics as above described with reference to Fig. 2, but in a different degree.

In Fig. 4, the wave motion, seen in Fig. 3, is shown as returning upon the jet pipe and thus retarding for an instant the column and the consequent breaking of it up, but in degree difierent from what is shown when the level of the water in the basin is relatively to the orifice of the jet pipe as seen in Fig. 2. Thus with a siphon the whole round of edects in the pulsating column of water can be produced; or by taking off the siphon and adjusting the outlet pipe to a desired position, the particular effects found at that level can be kept stationary.

A screw nozzle f may be placed on the inlet jet pipe. Thus the water level in the basin, relatively to the orifice of the inlet jet pipe, can be adjusted either at the inlet or outlet pipe by rods g, h, connecting therewith and controlled in valve boxes 11, outside of the fountain basin, as seen in Fig. 5.

The wave motion produced at the commencement of the eifects, as seen in Fig. 2, is greatly increased as the water level in the basin rises. This increased wave motion at last, when the water level is permitted to rise, is very marked and the surface of the water assumes a very lashed appearance, and its sound is like the dashing of waves on a beach of sand. This wave motion also presents a beautiful effect to the eye; and its action serves to aerate the water in the basin. This last matter is of great importance when fish are kept therein, or the water to be used for drinking purposes. The applicability of my invention therefore to reservoirs of drinking water is apparent. This method may be employed in lakes, giving them all the beaut ful efiects produced in the fountain by driving pile and locating upon same, crib or tub, at the proper depth to retain the wave motions produced by the jet. The result of such an arrangement would be that the water from the jet would lift up from the waters of the lake 2. large volume of water continuously, giving to it motion and breaking and introducing fresh supply of oxygen from the surrounding air; thereby continuously keeping the same pure, and reducing the large quantity of water now used to keep the water in such condition.

Man-holes would be required on the shore of the lake with connecting rods so arranged that the jet could be moved up or down as required. The same man-hole would contain the gate or valve to control the supply of Water necessary to produce the numerous effects. This too could be operated by pumping the small amount of water necessary to operate the jets, either to a tank or by direct pressure from the pump or supply pipe. Such application of my invention will do away with all costly methods, many of them doubtful as to their utility such as forcing compressed air up through the watcrin specially constructed reservoirs.

I claim l. The method of producingafountain with a pulsating stream which consists in introducing into an uncovered body of liquid an upwardly directed continuous jet of liquid at a point below the surface thereof, substantially as described.

2. In a fountain the combination with an open vessel of an upwardly directed inlet jet pipe terminating therein and having its orifice placed at a lower level than the lowest point from which liquid can escape from said vessel, and in unobstructed communication with the main body of the contents of the vessel, whereby the vessel is adapted to contain a body of water freely submerging said orifice, and a source of liquid supply adapted to force a jet from said jet pipe under sufficient pressure to rise above the level of liquid in the vessel notwithstanding the resistance of the body of water above the orifice, whereby a pulsating fountain may be produced, substantially as described.

' EDWIN D. BRAINARD.

Witnesses:

HARRY DOUGLAS, G. TILL. PLATT. 

